Baldwin the Eagle
Encyclopedia
Baldwin the Eagle, an anthropomorphized
bald eagle
, is the mascot
of the Boston College Eagles
.
The nickname "Eagles" goes back to 1920 when Rev. Edward McLaughlin, unhappy at seeing a newspaper cartoon which represented Boston College as a cat after a track victory, wrote to the college newspaper The Heights:
stuck. Soon a pair of golden eagle
s from Texas
and New Mexico
were given to the college as gifts. Sadly, one escaped and the other broke its beak trying. For the next four years, the official "mascot" was a stuffed golden eagle
located in the athletic offices.
In 1961, another attempt was made at a live mascot when the college adopted a 10-month old golden eagle named "Margo" (so named because the team colors are maroon and gold). Margo lived at the Franklin Park Zoo
and was brought to all home games for several years until dying of a virus early in the 1966 season.
Another notable incarnation of the Boston College Eagle is a gilded bronze osprey sculpture that diplomat Larz Anderson
and Isabel Weld Perkins
, his socialite heiress wife, brought back from Japan
in the early 20th century. The eagle remained in Larz Anderson Park
until 1954 when it was donated to Boston College
and became synonymous with the BC Eagle. It now looks over Linden Lane.
and the university then opted to go to a costumed mascot. In 2000, with the unveiling of the current athletics logos, the Boston College Eagle mascot received a visual makeover as well and has appeared that way since. Also, the mascot officially got the name "Baldwin" -- a combination of the words "Bald" (as in bald eagle) and "win." There is also a 9.5 foot inflatable mascot named "Baldwin, Jr." which appears at games. Like many modern costumed mascots, Baldwin wears replica team uniforms at events.
Baldwin the Eagle is brought to life by an anonymous team of Boston College students that are chosen by audition.
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, is the mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of the Boston College Eagles
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
.
The nickname "Eagles" goes back to 1920 when Rev. Edward McLaughlin, unhappy at seeing a newspaper cartoon which represented Boston College as a cat after a track victory, wrote to the college newspaper The Heights:
Live birds-of-prey
The "Eagles" nicknameAthletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
stuck. Soon a pair of golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
s from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
were given to the college as gifts. Sadly, one escaped and the other broke its beak trying. For the next four years, the official "mascot" was a stuffed golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
located in the athletic offices.
In 1961, another attempt was made at a live mascot when the college adopted a 10-month old golden eagle named "Margo" (so named because the team colors are maroon and gold). Margo lived at the Franklin Park Zoo
Franklin Park Zoo
The Franklin Park Zoo is a zoo located in Boston, Massachusetts. It is currently operated by Zoo New England, which also operates the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts...
and was brought to all home games for several years until dying of a virus early in the 1966 season.
Gilded statue
Larz Anderson
Larz Anderson III was a wealthy American businessman and diplomat who briefly served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan ....
and Isabel Weld Perkins
Isabel Weld Perkins
Isabel Weld Perkins , mostly known as Isabel Anderson or Mrs. Larz Anderson after her marriage, was a Boston-area heiress and author who left a legacy to the public that includes a park and two museums. She is interred in the St...
, his socialite heiress wife, brought back from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the early 20th century. The eagle remained in Larz Anderson Park
Larz Anderson Park
Larz Anderson Park is a wooded, landscaped, and waterscaped parkland in Brookline, Massachusetts that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The southwest corner of the park is in Boston...
until 1954 when it was donated to Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and became synonymous with the BC Eagle. It now looks over Linden Lane.
Costumed mascot
By this time Margo died in 1966, eagles had become endangered speciesEndangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
and the university then opted to go to a costumed mascot. In 2000, with the unveiling of the current athletics logos, the Boston College Eagle mascot received a visual makeover as well and has appeared that way since. Also, the mascot officially got the name "Baldwin" -- a combination of the words "Bald" (as in bald eagle) and "win." There is also a 9.5 foot inflatable mascot named "Baldwin, Jr." which appears at games. Like many modern costumed mascots, Baldwin wears replica team uniforms at events.
Baldwin the Eagle is brought to life by an anonymous team of Boston College students that are chosen by audition.